Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (16): 3494-3502.doi: 10.12307/2025.437

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Hernia repair patch: recent advances in material design and application

Chen Jingyu, Hong Ge, Guo Ning, Liu Tianjun   

  1. 1Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China; 2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China; 3School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, Hebei Province, China
  • Received:2024-03-25 Accepted:2024-05-25 Online:2025-06-08 Published:2024-09-06
  • Contact: Liu Tianjun, Researcher, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China
  • About author:Chen Jingyu, Master, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
  • Supported by:
    Capital Health Research & Development of Special Fund Program, No. 2022-1-4041 (to LTJ); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, No. 2021-I2M-1-052 (to HG)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patch surgery by tension-free repair has become the first choice for treatment of abdominal hernias in recent years because of its effectiveness in reducing postoperative pain and recurrence rates compared to traditional suturing. 
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the advantages and disadvantages associated with the application of different hernia repair patch materials. 
METHODS: CNKI, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases were searched using Chinese and English search terms “abdominal wall defect, hernia patches, hernia treatment” for articles published from January 2018 to February 2024. A few classic early-onset articles were used to express the development of hernia repair. After preliminary screening by reading titles and abstracts, those with low relevance to hernia repair materials were excluded. Finally, 90 articles were included for summarization.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Hernia repair patches can be divided into non-absorbable synthetic patches, absorbable synthetic patches, natural polymer patches, and composite patches based on different materials used. Non-absorbable patches have high mechanical strength and are beneficial for tissue healing in hernia areas, but long-term presence of patches in the body may trigger immune responses, leading to inflammation and pain. Absorbable synthetic patches and natural polymer patches have good tissue compatibility and degradability, but their mechanical strength is unstable. Composite material patches inherit the excellent mechanical properties of traditional non-absorbable patches and reduce the risk of complications through the design of absorbable parts. In subsequent studies of hernia repair patch materials, researchers should focus on how to combine novel technologies with composite patches to form multifunctionalized hernia repair materials.


Key words: abdominal wall defect, hernia repair patch, polypropylene, antibacterial patch, hernia, non-absorbable patch, absorbable patch, composite patch

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